Earth’s mammals have shrunk dramatically, and humans are to blame

Discussion in 'Off-Topic' started by truebluefan, Apr 20, 2018.

  1. truebluefan

    truebluefan Administrator Staff Member Administrator

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    Life on Earth used to look a lot more impressive. Just a little more than 100,000 years ago, there were sloths as long as a giraffe is tall, monstrous bears whose shoulders were six feet off the ground, and Bunyanesque beavers that weighed as much as an NFL linebacker. But over time, all of these creatures disappeared in a manner so rapid and so mysterious that scientists still can’t fully explain what went down.

    Did an asteroid discharge the mega-beasts, similar to the one thought to have snuffed out the dinosaurs? Or was it widespread climatic change or a plague of new diseases? Did our penchant for hunting play a role?

    It’s likely that a combination of factors led to a planet-wide demise in sizable mammals as the Ice Age came to a close. But a study published Thursday in the journal Science provides evidence that the major drivers were humans and other hominids.

    read more https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...d-humans-are-to-blame/?utm_term=.b8856d2d6370
     

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